Right now most players either completely ignore the Diplomatic Stances mechanic or just use the Appeasing Stance as it lowers the AE considerably. This is because the other Diplomatic Stances have quite useless bonuses and are unbalanced and hardly ever affect the player's style of play. I think Diplomatic stances, as they are supposed to represent the vocation of your nation, should be something that completely changes your playing experience and your way of playing. So I propose a rework of the bonuses and penalties of each Stance so that each one is different and useful in its own way.
(note that I changed the name of the Appeasing Stance to the more correct Conciliatory Stance and I added the Raiding Stance)
Neutral:
+2 Diplomatic relations
+0.02 Monthly stability
+5% Monthly political influence
-3% Noble happiness
+30 Neighbours opinion
+20 Others opinion
Conciliatory:
+0.25% AE decay
+1 Diplomatic reputation
+100% Fabricate claim cost
-0.5 Claim fabrication speed
+25 Allies opinion
+10 Others opinion
Mercantile:
+25% National commerce income
+15% Local trade routes
+6% Noble happiness
+3% Citizen happiness
-10% Build ship cost
-25% Fleet maintenance cost
-5% National manpower
-2.5% Levy size
+30 Opinion with same stance
+20 Others opinion
Bellicose:
-20% AE impact
+1.5 Claim fabrication speed
-100% War score cost
-0.10% AE decay
-2 Diplomatic reputation
+2.5% Levy size
-25 Opinion of neighbours
-5 Opinion of others
Domineering:
+15 Loyalty of subjects
+0.5 Integration speed
+10% tribute income
+5% National tax
+10% National manpower
+0.05 Provincial loyalty
+5 Loyalty of Governors
-3% Integrated culture happiness
+30 Opinion of subjects
Raiding:
+1 Diplomatic relations
+10% Enslavement efficiency
+3% Noble happiness
+6% Tribesmen happiness
+2.5% Levy size
-5 Diplomatic reputation
-20 Opinion of others
+20 Opinion with the same stance
Cost to change stance: 80 political influence
(note that I changed the name of the Appeasing Stance to the more correct Conciliatory Stance and I added the Raiding Stance)
Neutral:
+2 Diplomatic relations
+0.02 Monthly stability
+5% Monthly political influence
-3% Noble happiness
+30 Neighbours opinion
+20 Others opinion
Conciliatory:
+0.25% AE decay
+1 Diplomatic reputation
+100% Fabricate claim cost
-0.5 Claim fabrication speed
+25 Allies opinion
+10 Others opinion
Mercantile:
+25% National commerce income
+15% Local trade routes
+6% Noble happiness
+3% Citizen happiness
-10% Build ship cost
-25% Fleet maintenance cost
-5% National manpower
-2.5% Levy size
+30 Opinion with same stance
+20 Others opinion
Bellicose:
-20% AE impact
+1.5 Claim fabrication speed
-100% War score cost
-0.10% AE decay
-2 Diplomatic reputation
+2.5% Levy size
-25 Opinion of neighbours
-5 Opinion of others
Domineering:
+15 Loyalty of subjects
+0.5 Integration speed
+10% tribute income
+5% National tax
+10% National manpower
+0.05 Provincial loyalty
+5 Loyalty of Governors
-3% Integrated culture happiness
+30 Opinion of subjects
Raiding:
+1 Diplomatic relations
+10% Enslavement efficiency
+3% Noble happiness
+6% Tribesmen happiness
+2.5% Levy size
-5 Diplomatic reputation
-20 Opinion of others
+20 Opinion with the same stance
Cost to change stance: 80 political influence
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